Far Eastern Palm OS-based smart phone maker Group Sense PDA (GSPDA) formally launched its latest handset this week, two months after revealing the device in a series of sneak previews.

The Xplore M28 is based on Palm OS 5.4 - aka 'Garnet' - and contains 64MB of RAM and 32MB of integrated Flash storage. An SD card slot provides scope to expand the memory complement further.

Pitched at the mobile phone buyer rather than the PDA user, the M28 sports a 65,535-colour, 176 x 220, 2.2in LCD, according to PalmSource, though the handset's Malaysian distributor, Alpha Tec, claims it's a 260,000-colour job. Alpha Tec also claims there's just 32MB of RAM. The CPU is a 168MHz ARM-based unit.

There's a built-in VGA digicam with digital zoom. The handset itself is 10.6 x 5.1 x 2.4cm and weighs 132g. The front panel, with the screen, call make and break buttons, application activators, and five-way navigator control, slides up to reveal the numeric keypad.

The handset has its own USB port and ships with a USB cable for HotSyncing. There's a combo microphone/stereo earphones in the box for calling and listening to the handset's MP3 player. The device also supports MP3 and 40-voice polyphonic ringtones.

The Xplore M28 is now available in Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand. ®